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I made regular ice cream this weekend for which I had to purchase both whole milk and heavy cream. I did compare fat grams on the labels to that of the almond milk. If I am remembering correctly it seems the whole milk had a higher fat content than the heavy cream. I considered that the almond milk might be a more likely sub, at least fat gram wise, for the heavy cream. That surprised me. But then I thought that the heavy cream had a thicker consistency than almond milk, so I thought a substitution for the heavy cream might not be the best option. I'm really only guessing. Shouldn't Cooking Light know these things? They revamp recipes all the time. Almond Milk is showing up everywhere now.

I did find a recipe Googling @ Recipezar called Ann's Almond Chocolate Ice Cream Dairy Free whose recipe ingredients look exactly like a listing for regular ice cream and uses almond milk instead of dairy milk. She made a custard base just like a normal ice cream recipe, too.

I would love to be able to use almond milk for ice cream too, but I think that just the almond milk won't be enough, it would be too thin...
It might work on a recipe like this one that I created based on others, you make sort of a pudding and then freeze it, no eggs or cream needed.
There was a recipe once posted in the CL boards that was similar to this one that had many variations for flavors, I might need to check to see if I have it printed or saved somewhere in my computer. I believe that one was like this, with only milk.
I guess I will try making this recipe I posted with almond milk to see how it turns, never thought about that...! (I have made with a combination of soy milk and soy creamer though, and it works!)
Ana

Here is the link with my post and pictures so you can take a look:Chocolate Gelato

Combine 1/2 cup milk with cornstarch and set aside. In a saucepan add remaining 2 1/2 cups milk, sugar, and cocoa. Heat over medium heat until almost boiling; add milk/cornstarch mixture and cook, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens. Add chocolate chips and whisk until melted. Remove from heat, stir in salt and vanilla.
Strain mixture into a bowl (or plastic container), let cool to room temperature and then put in the fridge until completely cooled. (Or you can put the container on top of a bowl filled with ice water and keep stirring the mixture until cooled enough to put in the fridge)
Freeze in ice cream machine, according instructions.

Note: I put a piece of plastic wrap directly on top of the mixture as soon as I put it on the plastic container to cool, just so that a skin won't form.

"If you're using almondmilk in a cooked pudding or custard recipe, increase the thickening agent (such as cornstarch or flour) by a few tablespoons. Because almondmilk contains no saturated fat, it requires a little extra thickener to set up properly. Better yet, choose from one of our pudding or custard recipes, which were specially developed to work perfectly with almondmilk".

Are there any other cultures that use almond milk regularly & already use it for ice cream making? Maybe we don't have to reinvent the wheel.

"If you're using almondmilk in a cooked pudding or custard recipe, increase the thickening agent (such as cornstarch or flour) by a few tablespoons. Because almondmilk contains no saturated fat, it requires a little extra thickener to set up properly. Better yet, choose from one of our pudding or custard recipes, which were specially developed to work perfectly with almondmilk".

Are there any other cultures that use almond milk regularly & already use it for ice cream making? Maybe we don't have to reinvent the wheel.

Thanks for the info!
I haven't tried with almond milk, but I know rice milk does not work for puddings, it never thickens up. Good to know, I won't even bother trying then - too much cornstarch would make it chalky in taste I imagine.
Ana

I see that Ann's recipe for the Almond Chocolate Ice Cream uses Horchata De Almendra (Almond Horchata) yet she lists almond milk (I was thinking the store bought kind) in the ingredient list. She uses no thickening agent in the recipe. I am beginning to think that since Horchata is made with rice, that that is why her custard is successful.

I see that Ann's recipe for the Almond Chocolate Ice Cream uses Horchata De Almendra (Almond Horchata) yet she lists almond milk (I was thinking the store bought kind) in the ingredient list. She uses no thickening agent in the recipe. I am beginning to think that since Horchata is made with rice, that that is why her custard is successful.

Is Horchata different than store bought rice milk?

I haven't had horchata, but rice milk is very thin and watery. There is no protein or fat in it, so that's why it is not good for making pudding. But that is all I know about it.
I like almond milk but not rice milk.
Ana

I just looked at the Horchata de Almendra recipe she used to make her ice cream. It's nothing more than skinless almonds in water and some spices. Nothing much different than store bought, but without stabilizers.

Can't stand anything thin or watery either. I am so not a fan.

I was taken by pleasant surprise when I tried Almond Milk. It goes head to head with real milk -- taste, consistency, color -- no lactose to upset digestion.

I haven't tried Horchata yet either. There's plenty of it around in my neck of the woods. Maybe I'll give it a whirl.

I'm hooked on Almond Milk. So far I've only used it in coffee and over my morning oatmeal.

I heard about Almond Milk on Dr. Oz's TV show. A lady in the audience said that she was addicted to Starbuck's and asked if there was a healthier alternative. Her answer was Decaf Coffee, Almond Milk & Stevia with no sacrifice to taste.

I am beginning to think that since Horchata is made with rice, that that is why her custard is successful.

Now I saw the recipe and she used Horchata De Almendra, a horchata made with almonds, there is no rice in it. There is the link for the horchata recipe where she talks about the ice cream recipe. I don't see any rice in there. Plus she uses eggs and they are definitely the thickening agent in this recipe, just as in any custard based ice cream made with regular milk.

I guess the thing for the recipe I posted is to up the amount of thickener when using almond milk.
I took a look at the silk website and their chocolate pudding is pretty basic. I might end up trying to make my recipe with almond milk over the weekend to see what happens, now I am curious!
Ana

My son has a sensitivity to dairy and a nutritionalist recommended coconut milk mixed with almond milk as a sub for most milk products. It provides a creamier texture. I buy coconut milk at whole foods in the dairy case.

Just back from TJs with my almond purchase. I really had no intention of making Horchata, only using store bought almond milk, but now I have 1 1/2 lbs of slivered, skinless almonds in my kitchen. That's enough to make the Horchata from scratch and the Chocolate Almond Ice Cream recipe.

Just back from TJs with my almond purchase. I really had no intention of making Horchata, only using store bought almond milk, but now I have 1 1/2 lbs of slivered, skinless almonds in my kitchen. That's enough to make the Horchata from scratch and the Chocolate Almond Ice Cream recipe.

Did you notice how much sugar is in that Horchata recipe!???

Small wonder there is no sugar added to the ice cream recipe.

Good Lord, it is the same amount of almonds and sugar! That's why she says to use sweetened commercial almond milk if not using the horchata, I understand it now!
I guess you can use less sugar if you want something less sweet,
My tolerance for sugar is very low, so I would probably use less.
Let us know if you make it how it turns out, I am really curious!!
I also have a bag of raw almonds here, maybe I will make some homemade almond milk!
Ana

We make our own almond milk all the time. I haven't tried, but have heard, that you can make a cream substitute by reducing the ration of water to almonds. So, where I usually use 1 cup soaked almonds to 3 cups water (along with 2 pitted dates and a splash of vanilla), I would probably try a 1 cup soaked almonds to 1 cup water (with a date and some vanilla) if I wanted something thicker and creamier.

Okay...it's time to pull up your big-girl panties and get on with it. (Seen on a bathroom wall.)

The poster (Rita) states in the ice cream recipe side bar that she would half the amount of sugar next time. She also used lime instead of lemon.

Dates instead of white sugar. I'd prefer that concept. It will give me something to work up to.

First time out I think I'll half the sugar like the poster said. I can always add in more. I have commercially made almond milk in the refrigerator, too. Homemade from scratch is supposed to be better for you though.

Click on Ann's Horchata De Almendra link (one is a duplicate); then to Print page. Read the Nutrition stats. Oh, wait. Sit down first!

Can that possibly be right? Calories from fat: 952? 48% calories from fat?

And how does one get saturated fat from almonds? Sat. fats are listed on my slivered almond package, too. The almonds are raw. Huh?

Oh wow, that is a whole lot of calories.
The 1976 calories per serving is for 1 liter, which is equivalent to 4 cups. Which would be about 500 calories per cup?? gee...
There is a ton of sugar in there, a whole pound, plus a whole pound of almonds, which are healthy but caloric and considerably high in (good) fat.
Although I just looked up info on 1 lb of almonds and it says: 2720 calories and 255 calories from fat...
I wouldn't take the nutritional info on recipe zaar to a T, there might be something incorrect in there.
Better try making regular almond milk and sweetening to taste!
Ana

Just walked into the kitchen to assemble ingredients and cook the custard base.

I believe the store bought almond milk is already sweetened. I've decided to take the path of least resistance and begin with that. I've made lots of homemade ice cream and I'll know right away if the custard isn't thickening.

Unfortunately, I now can't find my bottle of amaretto. It was the one item I didn't check on the grocery store run this a.m. Dang.

I either run out later tonight or this almond milk ice cream experiment will have to wait until Thursday. See me pout.

I was taken by pleasant surprise when I tried Almond Milk. It goes head to head with real milk -- taste, consistency, color -- no lactose to upset digestion.

Wow, I'm surprised by this comment. When I thought I was dealing with a milk protein and soy allergy with DD, I tried all the milk substitutes - almond milk, rice milk, coconut milk, etc. Almond milk (at least the one I bought, which was unsweetened) was noticeably tan colored and tasted like nothing more than almonds blended with water. I found it to be very thin and watery, and nothing like real milk. My fav substitute was actually So Delicious Coconut Milk Beverage.

Wow, I'm surprised by this comment. When I thought I was dealing with a milk protein and soy allergy with DD, I tried all the milk substitutes - almond milk, rice milk, coconut milk, etc. Almond milk (at least the one I bought, which was unsweetened) was noticeably tan colored and tasted like nothing more than almonds blended with water. I found it to be very thin and watery, and nothing like real milk. My fav substitute was actually So Delicious Coconut Milk Beverage.

This is the one I'm using. It is sweetened by evaporated cane syrup. Comes in Vanilla, too. Contains no soy. NOT noticeably tan colored like the Silk brand.

My chain store grocer has been aggressively handing out coupons at checkout for Silk Almond Milk for the last month -- $.75 off; $1.00 off; $1.50 off. I still purchase the Almond Breeze.

Interesting indeed, lol; because I just looked at my container again and the color of the liquid being poured is as white as the white in the Almond Breeze lettering above it.

So I found this picture. Nix the old one.

That's even more interesting.

I wonder if there was a change in how Almond Breeze was being marketed. Maybe the dark color of the beverage on the first box was intended to look almond color rather than milk color as a way to attract customers that absolutely hate milk and don't want to drink anything that looks like it. That might also explain why it is being marketed as a non-dairy beverage rather than almond "milk".

I love almonds, but would find a picture of tan-colored milk unappealing on the carton. So much so that a carton with the tan-colored picture would be a visual deal breaker for me. The carton wouldn't make it into my cart; let alone all the way to check-out.

Let's call it psychological marketing. I want my milk to be white (even if it comes from almonds) and the company must have figured that out.

I believe you are right about them initially picturing the milk as almond-colored to distinguish it from dairy milk.

I also believe that almond milk is becoming more acceptable and main stream. It won't be just for Vegans or the lactose intolerant, of which I am neither. I purchased it because it was positioned as the healthier alternative to milk while maintaining the characteristics of the milk we grew up on. A couple of months ago, I did not know this stuff existed.

You guys totally wouldn't be able to handle homemade almond milk. It looks great when it first comes out of the food processor, but then separates into layers. We just shake it well before we use it, and were just commenting this morning how much the pasteurization process affects the foods we eat, as the stuff in the aseptic packaging never separated. It tastes really good, though.

Okay...it's time to pull up your big-girl panties and get on with it. (Seen on a bathroom wall.)

You guys totally wouldn't be able to handle homemade almond milk. It looks great when it first comes out of the food processor, but then separates into layers. We just shake it well before we use it, and were just commenting this morning how much the pasteurization process affects the foods we eat, as the stuff in the aseptic packaging never separated. It tastes really good, though.

If you talk about separation then it involves all kinds of milk, really!
Almond milk, soy milk, and Cow's milk are all homogenized so it doesn't separate. Fat globules float in liquid in all natural things.
It is funny when people make homemade stuff and are grossed out, they should be actually happy that their stuff has come out exactly how nature intended it to.
That's why when you read the ingredients in commercial almond milk there is a lot more than just almonds and water, preservatives and homogenizing agents are always added to improve appearance and shelf life.

I like almond breeze Almond Milk, but to be honest I fell like it is not as white as regular milk. We drink both daily in our house and the almond milk is a little more tan than cow's milk, which is how it is supposed to be as almonds are not pure white in color.
And I am glad my almond milk is tan-ish in color and not bright white, that means the milk was not bleached! So many white stuff in the market is white because they bleach it so people will like it better (yuck). I am one that appreciate the natural colors in my foods!!

Aggie94, definitely try the Almond Breeze almond milk, I find it much better, even the refrigerated Silk is really good. I still prefer almond breeze because they have it in Unsweetened options, while Silk only has sweetened varieties, and I like to be able to control the sweetness of my food. But the Silk has great texture and body, I really liked it, if it wasn't for the added sugar I would probably switch to silk.
I tried the Pacific brand once (it was on sale!) and didn't care for it much, I found it to be too watery. The Almond Breeze has a bit more body to it.

Foodfly let us know how the ice cream turns out!!
I really like almond milk, I just wish it had as much protein as cow milk, then I would make the switch for good.
Ana